The present invention relates to an electrical connector to be attached to an electrical circuit board for connecting a mating connecting member to the electrical circuit board in a direction perpendicular to a surface of the electrical circuit board.
Patent Reference has disclosed a conventional electrical connector for connecting an electrical circuit board. The conventional electrical connector includes a housing. The housing includes a fixed housing to be fixed to the electrical circuit board and a movable housing capable of moving relative to the fixed housing. The conventional electrical connector further includes a terminal disposed between the fixed housing and the movable housing.
Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2014-099361
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference, the fixed housing to be fixed to the electrical circuit board is formed in a rectangular frame shape, so that a central portion at a center of the rectangular frame shape is opened and penetrates through a vertical direction of the fixed housing. The movable housing is accommodated in the central portion of the fixed housing such that a space is created between the fixed housing and the movable housing around a circumference of the movable housing. The movable housing includes a hollow portion that is opened upwardly, so that a mating connector as a mating connecting member is fitted in the hollow portion from above.
In the conventional electrical connector, the terminal includes an elastic piece portion on one end portion thereof. The elastic piece portion has a contact portion to be contacted with and connected to the mating connector, and is situated in the hollow portion of the movable housing. Further, the terminal includes a board connecting portion on the other end portion thereof. The board connecting portion protrudes outside the fixed housing.
In the conventional electrical connector, the elastic piece portion of the terminal disposed at the one end portion of the terminal extends to a bottom portion of the movable housing, and an arm portion is provided a lower end portion of the elastic piece portion. The arm portion extends outside the movable housing. A fixed piece portion is formed at a middle position of the arm portion, and the fixed piece portion is fitted in and fixed to a hole portion of the movable housing.
In the conventional electrical connector, the board connecting portion of the terminal disposed at the other end portion of the terminal is connected to the arm portion situated at a bottom portion of the fixed housing. A fixed piece portion is formed at a middle position of the arm portion, and the fixed piece portion is fitted in and fixed to a hole portion of the fixed housing.
In the conventional electrical connector, the terminal further includes a movable portion disposed between the arm portion on the movable housing side and the arm portion on the fixed housing side. The movable portion is formed of an open loop shape rising from a position of the bottom portion, so that the movable portion is capable of deforming. The movable portion includes a base portion connected to the arm portion on the movable housing side and the arm portion on the fixed housing side.
In the conventional electrical connector, the movable portion with the open loop shape is disposed such that the base portion thereof is situated close to that of the adjacent movable portion, so that the movable portion is capable of deforming to a large extent. Accordingly, the movable portion is formed in a substantially circular shape as a whole. Further, the movable portion is situated in the space between the fixed housing and the movable housing. When the movable portion is elastically deformed, the movable housing is capable of moving in any direction of an orthogonal coordinate axis in the space, thereby achieving a floating effect.
In general, the conventional electrical connector is required to have a small height size from the surface of the electrical circuit board. At the same time, the conventional electrical connector is preferably capable of floating in any direction.
In the conventional electrical connector disclosed in Patent Reference, the terminal has the movable portion having the substantially loop shape, so that the movable portion is capable of deforming to a large extent. When the conventional electrical connector is configured to increase a floating amount in the height direction thereof (the direction perpendicular to the plate surface of the electrical circuit board) or the width direction thereof (the direction in parallel to the plate surface of the electrical circuit board), it is necessary to increase the size of the movable portion in the height direction or the width direction. As a result, it is necessary to increase the size of the conventional electrical connector in the height direction or the width direction thereof.
In view of the above problems, an object of the present invention is to provide an electrical connecting member capable of solving the problems of the conventional electrical connector. According to the present invention, it is possible to secure the floating amount of the electrical connector in the height direction and the width direction of the electrical connector without increasing the size of the electrical connector in the height direction thereof.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the present invention.